Choosing A Structure For Your Business - Exceptional Tax Services (2024)

Choosing A Structure For Your Business - Exceptional Tax Services (1)

Creative Entrepreneurs and Business Structures

Some common questions I get all the time from Entrepreneurs are, “What’s the difference between a sole proprietor, LLC, and a Corporation?” Quickly followed by “How do I know which one is right for me?” Choosing the right structure can have big implications for your liability and for your taxes. There’s not a one-size-fits-all answer, because each business is different and you need to find the right fit for yours. Here’s a quick rundown of the difference between the three structures most likely to fit your business.

Sole Proprietor

If you’re asking the questions I just mentioned and you don’t know the answers, you’re a sole proprietor. That’s because any single owner business that hasn’t chosen a different structure and gone through a process to set it up is considered a sole proprietor by default. Whether or not you should remain one, depends on your business.

A sole proprietorship is the simplest because it takes no set-up. It also doesn’t require you to follow any certain routine, like the meetings required for corporations. All your income is filed on your personal taxes as self-employment income, with your business being “disregarded” by the IRS.

You may still need to license your business with your city or file for a fictitious name if you name your business something besides your legal name, but for tax purposes it’s very straightforward.

Sound great, right? The problem is that a sole proprietor has no liability protection if someone should come after you. This might not seem likely in your business and those for whom it is least likely will probably be the best fit for sole proprietorship. However, think carefully about the chance that a client could sue you for some kind of loss, a collector could come after you for inability to pay a debt, etc. For a sole prop, your personal assets are fair game to anyone coming after your business.

Limited Liability Company

Now that we’re thinking about liability protection, an LLC might sound pretty good. It stands for limited liability company and creates a separate business entity that you own. It can have one or multiple owners. The biggest benefit is that your business is no longer the same as you, so your personal fortune is no longer on the line if your company has a liability issue.

Another big perk with an LLC is that you have some taxation options. You can choose to be taxed as a corporation if that turns out to be cheaper for your particular business. Sole proprietors don’t have this choice.

An LLC does take a little work to set up but nothing too scary. You’ll have to file with your state and pay a fee, along with some ongoing requirements to stay current. If the tax benefits and liability protection are needed, these requirements are well worth it!

S Corporation

If you decide to go the Corporation route, an S Corp is the most likely choice for a solopreneur or very small business. An S Corp is a corporation that has made an “S election” to be taxed as a passthrough. That means that your company doesn’t pay corporate taxes, you just pay tax on the income on your personal return more like an LLC or sole prop.

The requirements for maintaining an S Corp are more than an LLC so you have to weigh the benefits. One major reason for small businesses to use this structure is saving on social security and Medicare taxes. This is because you can earn income as an owner rather than an employee of your own company and that affects what taxes need to be withheld. You have to be really careful with this strategy because the IRS is cracking down on potential tax evasion in this area. You have to pay yourself a reasonable salary for the work you do in your own company or they can reclassify it for you. This may come with a penalty.

Still have questions on which is the best structure for you? Feel free to reach out and ask!

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Choosing A Structure For Your Business - Exceptional Tax Services (2024)

FAQs

Which business structure is best for tax purposes? ›

S corp. An S corporation, sometimes called an S corp, is a special type of corporation that's designed to avoid the double taxation drawback of regular C corps. S corps allow profits, and some losses, to be passed through directly to owners' personal income without ever being subject to corporate tax rates.

What is the most tax efficient structure? ›

The most tax-efficient structure for foreign investors is often Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) and partnerships, as they allow for pass-through taxation, limited personal liability, and eligibility for certain deductions.

What are the 4 types of legal structures for business? ›

The most common forms of business are the sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, and S corporation. A limited liability company (LLC) is a business structure allowed by state statute. Legal and tax considerations enter into selecting a business structure.

What type of LLC is best for tax purposes? ›

Disregarded entities are the simplest tax classification with straightforward tax reporting. Your LLC is not taxed or required to file a tax return. Instead, the business profits and losses pass to you as the sole owner to be reported on your personal income tax return.

What are the 3 most common tax structures? ›

progressive tax—A tax that takes a larger percentage of income from high-income groups than from low-income groups. proportional tax—A tax that takes the same percentage of income from all income groups. regressive tax—A tax that takes a larger percentage of income from low-income groups than from high-income groups.

What is the fairest tax structure? ›

Progressive taxes take more from those able to pay more. Because this method is based on the ability to pay, it is considered the fairest means of taxation.

Which type of corporation has the biggest tax advantages? ›

Single layer of taxation: The main advantage of the S corp over the C corp is that an S corp does not pay a corporate-level income tax. So any distribution of income to the shareholders is only taxed at the individual level.

What is the best organizational structure for a small business? ›

A functional organizational structure is the easiest and the most natural solution for your small business. Although there are other structures like divisional structure or matrix structure, a functional structure is the easiest and the most natural organizational structure to start with for your small business.

Which business structure is usually the best for a small business? ›

Sole Proprietorship

Easy to Form – Sole Proprietorships are the easiest, most common, and least expensive business structure. A person is essentially a walking, talking sole proprietorship in waiting. All you need to do is sell something—a product, a service, anything—and boom … suddenly you're a sole proprietor.

What is the main drawback of a sole proprietorship? ›

Among one of the biggest disadvantages of a sole proprietorship is unlimited liability. This liability not only spans the business but the business owner's personal assets. Debt collectors can access your savings, property, cars, and more to see a debt repaid.

Is an LLC taxed as a C Corp? ›

If the LLC is a corporation, normal corporate tax rules will apply to the LLC and it should file a Form 1120, U.S. Corporation Income Tax Return. The 1120 is the C corporation income tax return, and there are no flow-through items to a 1040 or 1040-SR from a C corporation return.

What is the most popular business structure? ›

The sole proprietorship is the most common form of business organization.

Should I choose sole proprietor or LLC? ›

An LLC has distinct advantages in the areas of legal protection and liability. While there are filing fees for setting up an LLC, that cost can be well worth it when compared to the thousands of dollars you could be liable for as a sole proprietor. On the other hand, it costs no money to start a sole proprietorship.

What is a major disadvantage of a sole proprietorship? ›

Among one of the biggest disadvantages of a sole proprietorship is unlimited liability. This liability not only spans the business but the business owner's personal assets. Debt collectors can access your savings, property, cars, and more to see a debt repaid.

What is better for a small business, LLC or corporation? ›

You might choose an LLC if you want to avoid corporate taxation, don't plan to fundraise with investors and prefer minimal formal regulations. You might choose a corporation, on the other hand, if you're looking to sell ownership, attract investors or go public in the future.

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